AWS Executive Insights

Dive into the "AI multiverse" with AWS Executives in Residence Jake Burns and Tom Soderstrom as they explore why some organizations are seeing massive productivity gains with agentic AI while others struggle to see value. Drawing from their extensive enterprise experience, they reveal how treating AI agents like human team members - with clear specifications, iterative feedback, and proper context - can unlock unprecedented productivity gains that far exceed the reported 30% improvements. Burns and Soderstrom share practical insights on creating a culture of experimentation, emphasizing why traditional ROI metrics may hinder innovation and why "return on attention" could be a better early indicator of success. From leveraging multi-agent systems to democratizing AI adoption through "centers of engagement," this episode offers essential guidance for leaders seeking to position their organizations on the right side of AI transformation. Don't miss these actionable strategies for winning in the age of agentic AI!

In this episode, we’re unpacking the remarkable cultural transformation of Guardian Life, a 165-year old insurance company that’s embracing startup thinking to drive innovation. Hear from Erin Culek, Head of Financial Protection and Retirement Solutions at Guardian, as she discusses how combining AI solutions with customer-centric innovation has dramatically improved the company’s service delivery, reducing four-week processes to near-instant results. Drawing from her experience leading both strategy and business operations, Culek shares how Guardian's "test and learn" culture combined with Amazon’s “two-pizza team” approach is accelerating digital transformation across the enterprise. From fostering a culture of experimentation to implementing transformative AI initiatives, this episode offers essential insights for leaders navigating legacy transformation. Don’t miss this inspiring conversation about turning institutional wisdom into competitive advantage through startup thinking.

Examine the evolving landscape of digital trust and identity security with Jacob DePriest, VP of Security and CISO at 1Password. Drawing from his diverse experience at the NSA, GitHub, and 1Password, DePriest shares best practices for managing shadow AI, implementing confidential computing, and addressing the emerging challenges of agentic AI. He emphasizes the critical balance between enabling innovation and maintaining robust security measures in an AI-driven world. From securing credentials with advanced authentication to navigating the complexities of AI governance, this episode examines how to build trust and security in an era where AI is reshaping digital identity management.

Join Olympic silver medalist Jenna Strauch as she shares powerful insights from her remarkable journey to Olympic success. Drawing parallels between elite sport and business leadership, Strauch reveals how data-driven decision-making, constructive feedback, and a focus on process over outcomes drives high performance. She discusses building resilient teams, managing setbacks, and fostering a culture where failure leads to growth. Her experience as part of the Australian Dolphins' leadership team demonstrates that true success comes from valuing people and mentoring the next generation of leaders. This episode is essential listening for leaders looking to empower high-performance teams through times of high-stress and transformation.

Join AWS Enterprise Strategists Arvind Mathur and Matthias Patzak as they explore how technology leaders can effectively engage with their CEOs about agentic AI. Drawing from a LinkedIn blog Matthias recently published, this episode reveals five essential steps for success: focusing on business impact over technology, building cross-functional transformation teams, picking the right use case, running parallel pilots at scale, and measuring real business outcomes. Learn why CTOs must proactively experiment with emerging technologies like agentic AI before C-suite conversations arise. Whether you're a technology leader looking to drive 10X value from your AI implementations or a business executive exploring AI’s transformative potential, this discussion offers valuable insights for navigating the agentic AI revolution.Watch on AWS Executive Insights

Master the art of strategic technology investment with AWS Enterprise Finance Strategist Chris Hennesey as he reveals how to transform your CFO relationship from gatekeeper to strategic partner. As a former IT CFO drawing from decades of financial services leadership, Hennesey shares insider perspectives on how technology leaders can effectively champion initiatives while demonstrating exceptional fiscal stewardship. He emphasizes that success isn't about securing bigger budgets, but about strategic resource optimization and compelling value communication. From evaluating generative AI opportunities to presenting to the board, this episode delivers invaluable insights for technology leaders looking to strengthen their financial partnerships. Don't miss this masterclass in building the technology-finance relationships that drive digital transformation!

Explore the future of enterprise security with Abnormal AI's CIO Mike Britton, as he reveals how next-generation security operations are evolving to combat machine-speed threats. As both a security leader and AI innovator, Britton shares his advice for implementing effective agentic AI governance while maintaining operational agility. He emphasizes that success in the AI era isn't about replacing humans, but about empowering security teams to work alongside AI systems effectively. From managing agentic AI risks to building AI-ready security operations, this episode offers essential guidance for security leaders navigating the intersection of AI innovation and enterprise protection. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from a leader at the forefront of AI-powered security!Watch on AWS Executive Insights

Discover how a tech executive with zero banking experience revitalized and transformed digital operations at Union Bank of the Philippines. In this episode of Executive Insights, Chief Transformation Officer Dennis Omila shares how his authentic approach to leadership helped him drive organizational change and advocate for banking innovation. Through people-centric strategies, Omila spearheaded a remarkable cultural transformation at Union Bank, from creating “wow experiences” for customers, to harmonizing teams and insisting on better work-life balance for employees. His journey offers a masterclass in leadership development, showing how purpose-driven, authentic leadership can propel both individual growth and organizational success. This episode is essential viewing for leaders seeking to navigate complex changes while fostering a culture of innovation and employee empowerment in any industry.The views of the individual do not necessarily reflect the views of Union Bank.

In this episode, former AWS VP Alec Peterson reveals how having a resilience mindset can help leaders turn setbacks into strategic advantages. Peterson emphasizes that effective resilience strategies don’t focus on preventing all failures, but rather on creating systems that allow organizations to fail forward. By anticipating and planning for potential issues, companies can build a business resilience framework that embraces failure as a pathway to innovation. Watch now to learn how AWS's infrastructure and culture enable teams to experiment boldly, learn rapidly, and emerge stronger from challenges. This episode offers valuable strategies for leaders looking to cultivate organizational resilience by harnessing the power of failure as a tool for competitive advantage.

In this episode, we catch up with Mai-Lan Tomsen Bukovec, VP of Technology at AWS, as she reveals three transformative approaches to enterprise data management: aggregate, curate, and extend. Drawing from her extensive experience leading AWS data services, Mai-Lan shares how organizations can build flexible, scalable data foundations that enable both innovation and governance. Join Mai-Lan as she discusses the intricacies of data infrastructure modernization with AWS Enterprise Strategist Tom Soderstrom. Together they explore how modern data infrastructure can accommodate rapid technology changes while maintaining security and compliance. This essential discussion provides leaders with practical insights for data-driven business transformation, from federating data ownership to implementing strategic data platform modernization that adapts to evolving business needs.Watch on AWS Executive Insights